1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a watercraft seat, and more particularly, to an improved rear seat and support for use on a watercraft.
2. Description of the Related Art
Watercraft, especially those known as personal watercraft, have become popular in recent years. This type of watercraft is sporting in nature; it turns swiftly, is easily maneuvered, and accelerates quickly. A personal watercraft today commonly carries one rider and one, two or possibly three passengers. For this purpose, watercraft typically have an elongated seat on which the passengers sit and straddle in a tandem fashion.
Personal watercraft continue to evolve and grow in size. While originally designed for the recreational use of a single rider, personal watercraft have increased in size and power. These watercraft are currently used in many diverse areas other than personal recreation such as lifeguard rescue, public safety and military uses, among others. The predominant use of these watercraft, however, remains recreational, and these new personal watercraft now provide more recreational possibilities than ever before.
Personal watercraft have now become powerful enough to tow water skiers. Common sense, as well as various laws and regulations, though, dictate that all water skiing tow vehicles must carry at least two persons: one who is operating the towing vehicle, and one who maintains a constant watch on the water skier. This allows the operator of the watercraft to maintain an adequate lookout to ensure safe operation of the watercraft, while simultaneously allowing another rider to closely observe the water skier to ensure the safety of the skier.
Prior personal watercraft, however, have not provided a seat conducive to observing easily the water skier behind the watercraft. The riding passenger must swing their body or turn around while riding to properly monitor the recreational activity. Typically, a relatively small rear seat on the watercraft does not provide room for a passenger to be seated comfortably and safely while maintaining a generally forwardly facing position and monitoring the activities behind the watercraft.
Conventionally, a riding passenger on the watercraft maintains stability through the use of hand grips located at the base of the rearward seat section. Typically, these hand grips are located along the rear or side of the seat base, below the rider's seating area. A riding passenger who is monitoring recreational activities occurring off the rear of the watercraft, often both straddle and hold onto the hand grips in an awkward position.